Women don’t need to go to the gym to build muscle mass in their thighs. How long it takes to build muscle partly depends on genetics, but according to Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Dr. Lee E. Brown, it can take up to eight weeks of consistent training to notice a difference in muscle size. Women naturally posses lower levels of muscle-building hormones, but they can still make significant strides by participating in high-volume workouts that target the thighs.

1. Schedule three leg workouts per week, spreading them throughout the week so your thighs get a day off in between training sessions.

2. Complete three to five sets of each thigh exercise, with each set consisting of eight to 20 reps. Take 60 seconds to rest in between each set. Your thighs should be burning at the end of each set, so hold a pair of dumbbells if you need to make an exercise more challenging.

3. Begin your workout with squats, which work your glutes and quadriceps. Set your feet to hip-width apart and your toes pointed forward. Push your glutes back behind you and bend your knees to drop into a squat. Once your thighs are parallel to the floor, extend your knees and hips to return to a standing position.

4. Incorporate walking lunges into your workout to build your glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings. With plenty of free space ahead of you, take a large step forward with one foot. Once your lead foot’s planted, drop your back knee toward the floor while keeping your torso erect. Stop your knee just short of making contact with the ground and then drive off your lead leg to bring your trail foot forward. On the next rep, step forward with the opposite leg.

5. Complete split squats to build your quadriceps and glutes by getting into a staggered stance with your trail foot resting atop a chair and then bending the knee of your lead leg to lower your body toward the floor.

6. Finish your workout with hamstring curls, which develop the back of your thighs. Lie on your back on a wooden, linoleum or tiled floor. Bend your knees and place your heels atop a folded towel on the floor. Pick up your hips and then slide your heels toward your butt and then slide them forward again.

Things Needed

Dumbbells

Chair

Towel

Tip

Take 10 to 15 minutes to properly warm up before your thigh workout. A warm-up will raise the temperature in your legs, increase blood flow to your muscles and wake up your neuromuscular system, which will in turn improve your workout performance.

Warning

During squats and lunges, avoid allowing your knees to move too far forward when they travel beyond the vertical line of your toes, as this places stress on your knee joints. Visit your doctor for a physical before beginning a new workout program.

About the Author

Kim Nunley has been screenwriting and working as an online health and fitness writer since 2005. She’s had multiple short screenplays produced and her feature scripts have placed at the Austin Film Festival. Prior to writing full-time, she worked as a strength coach, athletic coach and college instructor. She holds a master's degree in kinesiology from California State University, Fullerton.